Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS)

Special Report from an SWSS Scientist

The Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) is conducted through a procurement action called a "cooperative agreement." This means that MMS, as the procuring agency, participates in many aspects of the study--from planning to providing staff in field efforts. I am fortunate to be an MMS staffer affiliated with the study and have been given the opportunity to go on the R/V Gyre as a member of the Visual team lead. The following text are daily entries of my experiences.

Lee Benner
Marine Mammal Studies Coordinator
Environmental Studies Program

Diary of a Member of the Visual Crew

The "saga" began when four of us met the R/V Gyre outside Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 19. Two us would be replacing members of the Visual crew and 2 for Acoustics. I had been in the Gulf on a SWSS cruise back in 2001 and was on the Acoustics team.

Day 1

On day 1, Sunday evening the Visual observer team leader explained to us the software that is being used to record visual observations and other pertinent information. We then climbed up to the top most level of the vessel the "flying bridge" and went over the equipment. Up there, in the Visual team environment, that means "big eye" binoculars (see photo at left), the laptop computer with the "whaletrack" software and hand held binoculars. Things look familiar to me and I am feeling confident I will be a good member of the team.

Day 2

Monday the Visual team starts equipment set-up at 6:45 AM. Observing starts at 7 AM with one person on the left big eye, one on computer recording and one on the right big eye. A new member rotates in starting at the left big eye every 30 minutes. Each of the 6 member team works 90 minutes on then 90 minutes off. This goes on until 8 PM or whenever the tagging boats return to the Gyre. Shifts are adjusted so that everyone starts the 6:45 shift at some time.

The purpose of every day is to locate sperm whales either visually or with passive acoustics, place specially designed satellite tags on them and take tissue samples for DNA analysis (see special report). If the weather and sea permit the 2 RHIBs are put in the water - one is for placing satellite tags and taking DNA samples and one for taking photos of the whales fluke or tail for identification. The Visual observer team coordinates the RHIBs to the whales, keeps acoustics apprised and coordinates with the captain of the Gyre.

We are not "on" whales yet so my teammates feed me "made-up" data to become familiar with data entry and plotting the location of whales, the RHIB and the distance between them. I find it is a little hard to see the pointer on the screen in the outdoors even though the computer is situated in a specially designed protective box (see photo at right). The rolling of the Gyre, though relatively gentle, is another impediment to my data entry efforts. My multi-tasking skills are not put the test today - no whales were sighted.

Day 3

We were put to the test. Whales were sighted 2 to starboard 3 to port and the RHIBs went in the water. Bearing and distance readings are taken on the whales. These numbers are being called out strong and sure from the observers to the team member at the computer who logs in the information, informs acoustics, radios whale locations to the RHIBs  and requests turns of the Gyre as needed. We have strong winds however and it is hard to hear the observers, especially when acoustics is calling and the RHIBs are radioing in as well. Now in addition to the visible whales Acoustics is calling up to tell us that whales have been heard. To determine which side of the Gyre they are on we need to have the Gyre make small degree  turns of 10 or 20 degrees - control of whale tracking is turned over to Acoustics which is radioing the Captain the new coordinates. In the meantime the tagging RHIB has approached 2 whales and successfully placed the satellite tags. Visual keeps constant track of the visible whales and the location of the RHIBs.

Communication between Visual and RHIBs continues in the hopes that the other 3 whales can be approached. Now Acoustics is radioing Visual that their whales have gone silent, last heard at 40 degrees to port- this could mean they are getting ready to surface. The Visual team is now maintaining location of whales to support the RHIBs as well as starting to look for the potentially surfacing whales. Every 30 minutes the visual team is rotating positions, but they all continue to work together to assist as needed in responding to multiple radio transmissions, covering whales and continue visual searches. The activity goes on for hours. Members depart briefly, as the situation allows, to wolf down a meal.

The RHIBs finally call it a day. It is 7:30 PM 5 tags have been placed with matching DNA samples. The tagging team has been successful in placing 5 tags in Beaufort 5 sea conditions that typically make tagging very difficult if not impossible. After talking with the RHIB crews I learned that they were surprised with their success and attribute it to the unusually long valleys between the swells. The whole Gyre crew is ecstatic about the success. These whales will provide weeks and months of data on where they are traveling in the Gulf, how long they stay in areas and if they are revisiting areas. And how did this team member do? Not bad, but with a lot of helpful input from the rest of the team. I feel ready for tomorrow.

Day 4

Hot again - not a surprise. Applying sunscreen is part of my daily routine. If one were out for a casual cruise in a good size vessel today would have been a gorgeous day, but for visual observing the seas are a bit rough at Beaufort 4 to 5. When the seas are that rough there are a lot of white caps and it is very difficult to discern whale blows from breaking water and sprays.

We put the RHIBs in and they have run off to port and starboard for several miles where they will drop hydrophones in the water to listen for whales. The passive acoustic team is not hearing any whales so the RHIBs went to a distance beyond the field of the passive acoustic system. The boats stayed out for several hours, but all was quiet and we saw nothing. We are in 2000m plus waters and towards the center of the Gulf of Mexico. What is out here that we just aren't seeing or hearing?

Day 5

At 6:45 AM one could tell it was going to be hot one again. Equipment is set-up and watch has started along with large floor fans plugged in and blowing. From shoulder level up one can get a good breeze, but from the level of the gunwhales (walls of the flying bridge) down the air is very warm. We have tarps overhead to keep off a lot of the sun and rubber mats to stand on while observing to cushion our stand and as a barrier from the metal deck. With good company and conversation it is almost comfortable.

Acoustics had stood watch all night as they do every night. They heard whales late in the evening but the whales stopped vocalizing around mid-night and no others were heard. So it continues with the two teams working together to locate whales.

As the day progresses the Visual team members are rotating in and out and conversations pick-up or wane. It is hard to hear while peering through the big eyes with a wind blowing. At 2 knots the breeze is light, but after awhile we zoom ahead at 6knots and the breeze picks up then back to 2 knots. We are in acoustic search mode for whales. The RHIBs are sent out to listen at a distance. We have Beaufort seas of 5 again and they are getting bounced around. It is not like the smoother seas earlier in the week. No luck ,no whales. Another day of looking at the flowing seas through the big eyes. Even without seeing whales the days and evenings are going relatively quickly. Someone is always up somewhere with an interesting story or paper to share.

Day 6

Today was a whole new type of day with lots of sporadic dark clouds on the horizon. The Captain sighted the potential makings of a water spout, essentially a tornado over water so it sucks up a lot of water and anything else. He has the Visual team come down from the flying bridge until we are out of range of the clouds. This means we have to dismantle the computer set up and electronics and wrap the big eyes in protective plastic sheets. It seems like we only just set-up. Soon we are back up top setting up again. About an hour later more clouds come into our area and head our way. We can see it raining below them so we dismantle once again hauling the computer and other loose gear down the ladder and to safety. Again about an hour later the coast is clear and we haul everything back up but we don't set up the computer. Instead we run our computer input from the acoustics lab. not an ideal situation, but workable and justified.

The RHIBs are out running about and through the rains. We have whales, four of them ranged across our bow. Visual is coordinating the RHIBs and calling in information to acoustics and our computer person. What an experience we have today - the whales are active and breaching - what an incredible sight!!!  But we had to close down again as a big rain cloud came our way. We weren't fast enough and we were caught by cold winds and cold rain and were drenched. That took me by surprise as I expected warm winds and rain in this 90 plus degree environment. We return to the interior of the vessel that is drafty and kept very cool. We need to dry off and change clothes before we freeze (see photo at left).

An hour later we are topside again fully set-up with the computer and big-eyes. The RHIBs are coming in however. The tagging teams are tired from the traveling and bouncing around in the rough seas. Once again however they were successful and were able to place 2 tags and take 3 tissue samples. With all the tissue samples we have been collecting scientists will be able to determine the relationship among the whales sighted in the Gulf and other parts of the world.

The RHIBs are coming in, but we maintain visuals. It is my turn to rotate in at the left big eye. My teammate greets me with "we better break down". I look to see what she saw and see a big wall of wind, rain, waves and clouds coming at us. This is the fourth time today we have had to dismantle. At least we have a good routine down by now and we secure everything quickly. This time we were able to get inside and end the day DRY!\

Day 7

This was a long, hot day, no whales were heard or seen, and the RHIBs did not go out because of rough seas. I am learning about the wonders of mini, portable conveyors of music and the travels and experiences of my teammates. Their years of experience are very evident by the way they perform on the flying deck and their stories extremely informative and entertaining.

Day 8

A pleasant surprise was awaiting me this morning - it was only in the 80's. Viewing conditions were difficult as it was very hazy. We weren't hearing or seeing whales, but did see a couple charter fishing boats and very, very, very large tanker.

We spent all day in haze and quiet. the RHIBs went out about 9 AM and also didn't hear anything. At least not a whale - they did come across a sunfish or mola mola (photo at right). At 4:30 the RHIBs came in and were secured. Normal preparations such as refueling the vessels were started and then - you guessed it we sighted a whale. The crew of the tagging RHIB scrambled and in record time were in the water. Visual kept track of the whale and saw it fluke. Typically that means it is going into a deep dive and won't be back up for at least 30 minutes. The Grye was maneuvered to keep the anticipated surfacing spot in sight. At about 40 min the whale was sighted and location information radioed to the RHIB. Unfortunately the whale fluked before the RHIB could get to it so the wait is on. Once again the whale is sighted , the RHIB approached and was successful in its tagging effort. A DNA sample was also collected. The Captains calls the vessel back due to the late time. It was a good day and we finally close up the visual operations at 8:30.

Day 9

Today I was invited by the Tagging Team Leader to  go out in the field on the Photo ID RHIB. We went to the stern or back of the GYRE where the RHIB is cradled, three of us climbed aboard and we  were tilted back and released into the Gulf (see photo at left). Our mission was to provide support for the tagging RHIB1, take fluke shots of tagged whales and track and retrieve the B-probe (see special report on B-probes and Dr. Bill Burgess). Of all the days we have been out in the Gulf this was the best one yet, gentle swells, adequate winds and we weren't  in the 90 + degree temperature range yet. I did not know how long I would be out so I went prepared with food, water, sunscreen and a hat.

We were already "on whales"  (acoustics had located some) when the RHIBs were put into the water so the 2 small vessels immediately coordinated with the Gyre and headed off to see if we could sight the whales. On our way out we were followed by a masked booby (see photos at right). It is a seabird of great interest to our video expert on the RHIB so we set off on a very positive note.

After traveling for several miles we found the whales. Since I was in RHIB I was always  at a distance from the whale to be tagged, but still it is a remarkable sight and feeling to be on water  level with these large creatures. The tagging effort was a success and the B-probe was on a whale  - now we had to wait. The tag was designed to stay on for several hours and then detach from the whale. This would be ample time to for the tag to be on the whale for 2  or maybe 3 dives. During the dives the tag would be recording depth of dive and angle of the whale.

We sighted the whale twice after 2 long dives and then we saw that the probe had released. Now the 2 RHIBs were working in concert to locate the B-probe floating in the hopefully nearby waters. The probe has a sender on it and we had receivers in the RHIBs so the hunt was on (see photo at left).

While we were floating and waiting for the probe to release we  saw other whales and were treated to  once again being able to appreciate the size and grace of these animals. Frequently when the whale is ready to dive it arches as it prepares to head down and flips up its tail or "flukes". We saw a whale that not only fluked but literally did a head stand, with its head pointing straight down  and the length of its tail and flukes sticking straight up out of the water. I once saw a right whale "the Admiral" do that while I was surveying in the Gulf of Maine. I never  thought I would get to see that sight again.

While the RHIB 1 continued to track the probe I was brought back to the GYRE and resumed my duties on the visual team. Fortunately my teammates  appreciated what an opportunity it would be for me to go out in the RHIB so were willing to cover for me while I was out. This is a great crew!

To end today's story, the RHIBs were out until 7:30 collecting the probe and taking DNA samples. The visual team kept watch until they were safely back on board.

DAY 10 -THE LAST DAY 

Here is a new entry point--it was hot today. We set-up at 6:45 AM and it was 93 degrees F. It was, however, a really good sea day--excellent visibility, only 10 percent cloud coverage, and 4 foot swells. Unfortunately, as the Gyre was turned to help track whales we ended up between swells and we were rolling. It wasn't too bad if you were just standing around and looking out, but peering through the big eyes was a challenge. The view changed from staring up at the sky to swooping down to the horizon and practically down to the tip of your toes. It was making me feel nauseous so I had to keep looking away. That isn't a bad thing for an observer to do because under today's visibility conditions it is possible to sight a whale several miles out. The beauty of the big eyes is it allows you to see details at 8 miles away that you can see with the naked eye at maybe a mile away.

On any given day we had other members of the crew, when not engaged in their work, on the flying bridge with us to revel in our company, take in the view or maybe get a little sun and feel a bit of breeze. Often these comrades looking out and taking in a broad view spotted whales before the observers who have a narrow field with a big eye, Consequently, one needs to develop a system that allows you to deal with the rolling of the ship while continually sweeping your portion of the horizon at a steady pace.

Back to today's events - the RHIBs went in the water in their usual order and took off to see if they could locate whales that Acoustics had heard. Once again the day began with Visuals coordinating information from Acoustics and the RHIBs and to the Bridge as necessary. We heard and sighted several whales and again some were too small to tag so we kept looking and Acoustics kept listening. We saw many masked boobies today so I made a point of a getting a copy of a photo by Charlie Short ,Captain of the RHIB2. In the afternoon the Visual group started getting punchy since it was the last day and the chitter chatter and joking took on a new level of humor and insight as we knew we would soon be going on to other endeavors AND everyone is very, very tired.

To complete today we located some whales and placed another satellite tag. Once again Visual and Acoustics helped the RHIBs crew succeed in their efforts and they came in safe and sound.

In summary the life of an observer consists of early mornings, long days on your feet in high heat, gulped meals and keeping ones cool in the frenzy of activities. The summary also includes meeting new and interesting people, learning many things from each such as one can have more than one career at a time, all backgrounds and educations can bring something to the job and it's another way to travel and see the world.

I haven't done the job of being an observer true justice in these few words, my excuse is there is a lot to describe. Try it and you will see. Oh, we were just called on deck to see a whale shark feeding with a school of bonito - not an every day sight!

My deep thanks to Lars Bejder, team lead and teammate AND my other teammates--Yin (Suzanne), Rhoni Lahn, and Iliana Cooley--for sharing their knowledge and stories. Thank you Ann Jochen for making it possible for me to be on this leg.

Signing off from Leg II of SWSS field survey 2005,

Lee Benner
Oceanographer, Environmental Sciences